Saxophone



May 24, 1949. H. soMMARUGA SAXOPHONE Y 3 Sheets-Shes?I l lia Filed Feb. 27, 1947 May 24, `1949. H. soMMARUGA SAXOPHONE Filed Feb. 27, 1947 5 Sheeis-Sheet 2 May 24, 1949. H. soMMARUGA SAXOPHONE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 27, 1947 FIGZ.

N VE N TQQ Hf@ m@ wffmwm Patented May 24, 1949 SAXOPHONE Hector Sommaruga, London, England Application February 27, 1947, Serial No. 731,335 In Great Britain December 14, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires December 14,- 1965 3 Claims.

This invention relates to saxophones and like musical instruments, the saxophone being a musical instrument comprising a tubular body formed with valve apertures (otherwise known as tone holes) in association with which are provided valves and valve-actuating keys. It is to be understood that the improved form of saxophone herein described is taken as an exemplary embodiment of the invention: it is practicable to embody the invention alternatively in other wind instruments which are analogous to the saxophone by reason of being of the same key-controlled type.

The object of the invention is to produce saxophones or the like provided with key work of novel construction, which is advantageous in that it is much simpler than the normal construction, that it facilitates initial assembly of the instrument and that, in preferred embodiments, it also facilitates repair.

The term key-work designates collectively a plurality of keys and valves together with the means for supporting these, means for interconnecting certain keys and valves and means for biassing them to predetermined positions of rest, such several means comprising an axle or axles, upon which the valves and keys or key levers are pivoted and which is or are carried by supporting pillars, and also comprising bridge-work (where necessary) and biassing springs. The term bridge-work designates collectively such parts of the key work as provide actuating interconnection between individual keys and valves remote from said keys but intended to be actuated by them. As is known, some of the valves are actuated by direct lingering of the valve cup" and others through the agency of a key lever connected with the pivot arm of the valve cup or otherwise associated with the valve, either directly or indirectly. Thus, for instance, where a valve is required to pivot in opposite sense to a key lever which actuates it, the motion may be transmitted indirectly. An individual bridge is an elongated rod-like member extending in substantial parallelism with an axle about which it pivots: when rocked by a key-lever attached to it, such bridge transmits the motion for actuating one or more of the said valves.

According to the invention, a saxophone or like key-controlled wind instrument has at least a part of its key-work (as hereinbefore defined) constructed as a self-contained unit which is adapted yto be preassembled and subsequently fixed, by means of two or more pillars or parts of pillars, to the body of the instrument.

It is preferred to make the said pillars or parts of pillars easily detachable from the instrument body, so as to allow the unit to be removed from the body with its axle or axles, valves, keys and springs all in their proper relative positions: this avoids the need for dismantling every key,

as it is now necessary to do when repairs have;

to be undertaken.

The saxophone in its most commonly used forms (e. g. alto and tenor) comprises a long hollow conical body, of which about two-thirds of the length from the smaller diameter is straight whilst the end of larger diameter is doubled back to lie adjacent to the straight part, the backturned part being known as the ball.

Usually more than 30 pillars are soldered on the body, some of these pillars being used to support the axles on which the keys pivot, and some serving to hold more than 20 needle springs, which are necessary to return the keys to their normal positions of rest after fingering.

The invention, however, provides for greatly reducing the number of pillars, altering their shape and their positions on the body, introducing a different springing system and shaping the key-work to suit the different springing and the different arrangement of pillars. As a subsidiary feature, the invention provides a novel arrangement oi the guards used to protect vulnerable parts of the key-work.

In embodying these modications in a saxophone, many departures may be made from customary constructional practice. For example, with only few exceptions, all the keys and valves necessary for the playing of the saxophone may be grouped into two main units: a left hand unit for the upper part of the instrument, and a righthand unit for the lower part. A few pillars of novel formation (two only, in the simplest cases) suiiice, in each unit, to support the axle or axles carrying all the valves and keys of the unit. The springs, instead of being mounted on separate pillars, may be so formed as to permit of their being threaded on the axle or axles on which the keys and valves pivot, such springs may then nd xed abutments on the instrument body. Thus a plurality of springs can be threaded, together with the arms of their corresponding valves, for,

instance, upon a single axle between two pillars. Thereby a number of spring-carrying pillars are eliminated, so that the construction of the instrument is greatly simplied.

Instead of having as is normally done now, a

number of small guards, giving individual -pro teotion to keys that are placed in vulnerable positions on the instrument, a single detachable guard may be provided for each whole unit of keys: moreover, such guard, besides protecting all the keys of the unit, may also act as a key regulator or stop for the pivoted Valves. The guard may be added after the key-work is mounted, and provisions for securing it may be made either on the pillars or on the instrument body.

Locating holes, recesses or projections may be provided in or on the body to receive the pillars or pillar-parts, which may be screwed in position or secured by any other suitable means. As a rule it is preferred to have the locating means made integral with the body. rlhus, in the case of sheet metal bodies, lugs may be brazed or soldered in position or recesses may be produced by pressing, whereas if the 'body be made in the form of a moulding, as disclosed in my co-pending British patent application No. 33,958 of 1945,

such lugs or recesses may be produced in the i;

moulding operation. In particular instances it may happen that the shape or position of a lug or other pillar-receiving projection is such that to mould it integrally with the body would necessitate the use of a moulding tool of unduly complicated and expensive construction. To overcome this diiculty, one or more of the pillarreceiving and locating parts may, when necessary, be made separately from the instrument body and subsequently screwed to said body in the required position or positions.

The accompanying drawings serve to show, by way of example, how the features of the invention may be embodied in the construction of a left-hand key mechanism for a saxophone.

In these drawings:

Figure l is a perspective View, in the natuie of a general arrangement, showing part of the straight tapering tubular element of a saxophone body with unitary left-hand key-work mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a perspective View showing part of the straight tubular body element `and part of the unitary key-work detached from said element and turned through about 90 to show especially the underside of the detachable pillars. Some of the valves and keys have been omitted for clearness of illustration: moreover the body part has been drawn without the various tone holes with which it must be pierced to bring it to its inished condition.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary and sectioned perspective view showing part of a moulded body tube with a tone hole and valve contacting therewith: this gure also shows part of the bridgework and part of a guard unit.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a moulded body tube, a valve and a biasing spring for said valve.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective View o the biassing spring shown in side view in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective View showing a detachable pillar and part of a body tube having an integral locater lug for said pillar.

.Figure '7 is another perspective view showing a body tube and an alternative form oi pillar, part of which is detachable.

Figure 8v shows in cross section, a fragment of a body tube with a screwed on locater bracket adapted to receive a detachable pillar.

Referring to these drawings; the reference l' denotes the straight tapering tubular member of a saxophone body which, if thin-walled, will ordinarily be made in sheet metal but which may advantageously be produced by a moulding operation in accordance with the invention disclosed in my co-pending patent application No. 33,958 of 1945 aforesaid. This body member is pierced by a number of tone holes 2 (omitted from Figures 2 and 6) which are adapted to be closed by valves 3 each consisting of a pivotally mounted cup holding an obturating pad l5, which can co-operate with a valve seating 5, as best seen in Figure 4. Each valve has an arm 6 whereby it is pivoted on an axle or 8 (Figure l.)

At 9, 9a, db and 9c are indicated various diierent fingering keys for actuating the valves, as required in the playing of the instrument. Keys such as 9 are mounted directly on the cups of normally open valves: other keys 9a, 9b, are mounted on levers l@ pivoted upon one or the other of the two axles shown in the present example. Key Se is selected as an example of a key which has to be connected to its valve 3 by way of a bridge member 'l l. A number of such bridge members are indicated at il in Figures 2 and 3, some of these, instead of connecting directly with a valve-arm i5 pivoted on the same axle vas the key lever, may terminate in a lug or adapted for tilting the arm of a valve separately pivoted upon the same axle or upon the other axle.

Figure 5 shows a preferred form of valve-biassing coil spring i2 which can be threaded on to axle together with the valve which it has to bias and Figure 4 shows how one arm of such spring can act on a valve arm 6 (tending to move the valve to the open position) while the other arms of said spring rind a fixed abutment against a shoulder i3 of the body tube. It will also be observed (see Figures l and 2) that the valve `arms S are slotted or bifurcated in their pivoted regions and that the convolutions of the springs l2 are located within the resulting gaps i4.

The axles 'i and 8 carrying all the pivoted key- Work thus far described are mounted on the instrument body with the aid of two terminal pillars l5 and le, bored as at Il and i8 (Figure 6), to receive the ends of said axles: these pillars are detachably secured respectively to locater lugs i@ 'and 2Q integral with the body l. Figures 2 and 6 show how the bases of the pillars are shaped to fit over the locater lugs and how they have holes 2! adapted to align with bores 22 in the lugs, so that a screw or a Cotter can be driven through to x the said pillars and, therewith, to locate the whole of the unitary key-work on the body. Assuming accurate pre-assembly of the valves, springs and keys upon the axles the fixing of the pillars with the axles between them will locate the working parts accurately in relation to the body, although, if necessary, provision may be made for minor adjustments of the valves relatively to the tone holes. If desired particularly in the case of long key-work units, intermediate, auxiliary pillars, such as 23 and 24 may be threaded on to the axles at the time of assembling the mechanism and subseguntly fixed to locater lugs 25 and 25 on the It will be obvious that, so long as the several pillars are not xed in permanent fashion to the locater lugs, the whole unit can readily be removed for repair or replacement by a similar pre-assembled unit.

The alternative pillar construction depicted in Figure' '7 is suited to a less elaborate key-workA unit requiring only a single axle, as 21. Here each of the two main pillars comprises two parts, of which the part' 28 is integral with the body l and serves to locate the `detachable part 29, which latter has pierced lugs or flanges 29 by means of which it can be pinned or screwed to said part ZS. The plane of division between the two pillars parts coincides with the axis of the axle 2l and semi-cylindrical recesses 30 and 3l in the confronting faces of the said parts come together to form seatings or clamping surfaces for the ends of the said axles when the latter (with the valves and keys which it carries) is being mounted in position on the body.

Adverting to Figures 1 and 3, the reference 3?. denotes a unitary guard member which extends between the main pillars l5 and i6 covering the axles and all the more vulnerable parts of the pivoted mechanism. As illustrated, this guard is part-cylindrical in cross-section and its ends overlap and embrace the said main pillars, which are also flanged, as at 33 to locate said guard in endwise direction. edge of this guard may be channelled, as at 32 to receive a buffer strip 34 of slightly yielding material, adapted to act as a stop for the Valve evers 6 and, it may be, for some of the key-levers it. rlChe guard may be secured to the body or to the pillars: according to Figure 1 the pillars i5 and l5 have side lugs 35 to which the stop portion of the said guard may be lixed as by screws and these attaching means may embody an adjustment whereby the level of the buffer strip 361 can be set to suit the degree of opening permitted to the valve 3.

Figure 8 shows how locater lugs or brackets for the pillars may be xed by screw means in the positions which they are to occupy; this mode of construction is especially applicable to moulded bodies in cases where it is desired to avoid having to use an unduly complicated moulding tool. A locater bracket 31, of channel section, has the underside of its web-portion 31 curved to the radius of the body tube I, which latter is shown n as having a slight depression I' in its exterior to help in positioning the said bracket. A saddleplate 38, which can be introduced into the tube, has an upstanding threaded stud 39, which latter is passed through registering holes in the bodyl Wall and web 3l to receive a nut 40, whereby the assembly is tightly clamped together.

By virtue of the invention it is possible to manufacture a saxophone or like wind instru- At least one longitudinal I claim:

l. In a saxophone a tubular member, tone holes disposed at intervals along said member, locator lugs integral with said tubular member, terminal detachably secured to said lugs, an axle secured at its ends to the said pillars, and an assembly of valves for the tone holes together with springs and keys therefor assembled on said axle as a unitary detachable assembly.

2. In a saxophone a tubular member, tone holes disposed at intervals along said member, locater lugs integral with said member, terminal pillars detachably secured to said lugs, axles supported in said pillars, a guard shrouding the axles, valves normally closing the tone holes and connected to said axles by means passing under the guard, springs on the axles loading the valves to the closed position, and keys operatively connected to the valves.

3. In a saxophone, a tubular member, tone holes disposed at intervals along said member, locater lugs integral with the pillar, terminal pillars slidably engaged over and detachably secured to said lugs, axles secured in said terminal pillars, additional locater lugs formed on the tube between said terminals lugs, corresponding additional pillars detachably secured to said latter lugs and receiving said axles, valves normally closing said tone holes, means connecting the Valves to the said axles, an inverted channel section guard shredding the axles and secured to said pillars, a buffer strip along one edge of said guard acting a buffer for the means connecting the valves to the axles, springs on the axles loading the valves to the closed position, and keys carried by said axles for operating the valves, the said pillars, axles, valves and associated means and the said guard being detachable as a unit from the said tubular member.

HECTOR SOMMARUGA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the or" this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 845,998 Bernard Mar. 5, 1907 1,567,003 Gulick Dec. 22, 1925 1,643,463 McAvoy Sept. 27, 1927 1,846,454 Powell Feb. 23, 1932 2,425,795 Gillespie Aug. 19, 1947 

